The Osceola times., 1887-03-05
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Senate.

sons proviso was also read.
The proviso provided that railroads
could compete with steamboats,, aud the
amendment of Senator Bryne provided
that the railroad should not charge more
FOR freight to intermedi te points than ter'
minsl points, whether such terminal poiHV'
are competing points or not.
Senator Barker Ton the hoor,) made
long speech, showing that II this proViso
lie adoptod, even as amended by senator
b rue, its effect would be to nulbiy the
bill. Tue bill as originally drawn was
such a law as the constitution aud lne peo
pie demanded. The people must be re
leved from unjust discrimination lie
urged the Senate 10 eject the provlso.
During Senator Barker, sp ech Senat
Byrne asked: is the Senator IN favor 4
the bill without the amendment
Senator Barker--l will say TO the honor
able Senator that am opposed TO every
amendment adopted by the committee OF
the whole. strip the bill of all those need
less amendments and III give IT my unti.
vided support. 1t is folly TO pass bill
proposing to prevent unjust discrimination
and put in such a proyiso as the one under
consideration.
Senator Thompson recognized the neces-
sity for such le islation rs this bill pro.
posed. lie thought the bill should conform
as near as possible to the interstate com
merce bill with as lit G machinery ana as
little expense to the State as possible. lie
could not support extreme legislation. He
wanted TO be just to al parties concerned.
This legislature had nothing LETT 10 regu-
late but State traffic. The proviso in this
bill takes the place of Il commission. lie
regarded the proviso as constitutional as
we'll as ri ht and just, and insisted upon
its adoption as amended.
Sanatpr Sta Ntpu lpfDqnlZp1 the TACT mat
This bill was legisla ion of the most iu.
portant c aracter, involving the rights OF
corpora ions and the people. This bill was
nothing more than n gliiterng array or
geueralities simply repeating the genernl-
tiles Of the constitution. How does this
bill propose to regulate unjust discrlnin-
stionsW
1t makes no effort TO regulate freight; 1t
fixes no rate for hauling 100 miles 100
pounds of freight. He could not support
the bill without q proviso ALLOWING his peo-
pie 10 get the benefit Of competition be-
iween the steamboats, and rail Dads. They
have right to go TO one and then the
other and get the lowest rate possible.
Senator Hanna said that If the bill is
set OF elittering generalities why should
this proviso be engralted upon itf lie
argued that the bill does not prevent COM
petition at these competitive points, but II
did provide that ii the freight was reduced
alon the line.
Senator Petit rev looked at the bill from
a standpoint of facts. Its object was to
prevent unjust discrimination, which IL
could not do II this proviso was tackled on
TO IL. For under it the railroads might dis
criminate at these competitive points
against intermediate points.
Senator Peters regarded competition the
life o. trade. Steamboats, were as prone
to discriminate as railroads. He believed
that the roads should be permitted to COM
pete with boats.
Senator Hammons urged the Senate TO
reject the substitute. He wanted the freight
charges of railroads so regulated that they
could not put freight down at competing
points to losing rate, and tax the p ople
at non-competing points SO as to make up
the loss.
Senator Byrne answered a number Of the
argument. made against the proviso. He
showed that it was 1nserttd d in the bill III
order 10 let steamboats, and railroads COM
pete.
Senator Fletcher stated that the hill had
been discussed for several days. He was
surprised 20 see the body no nearer le is
lation Than when the discussion began. He
favored the regulation of freight and fares
on railroads and 10 pass such laws as to
prevent unjust determinations. He asked
the Senate: 'Shall we have such legisla-
ton as is recommended by this bodyy The
pc ,ple are poor: the railroads are rich;
but when such a bill as this comes up there
is a wall and cry about the oppression of
the poor railroads. /. the proviso is re-
tained, he believed the advanta les gained
by @ people would only be momeutary,
aud there ore IL would result in no relief.
He uraed the Senate to reject the provso
and pass the bill so that railroads cannot
unjustly discriminate.
Unan nous consent was given Senator
Barker to close the debate. He replied 10
many of the arguments made in favor of
the proviso. He ar ued TINT the bill with
out the proviso would he just to railroads,
Just to the people and just TO commerce.
The cons. tuition of the state does not au-
thorize ur perm unjust discrimination,
but 1t posi- lively pro ibits IL. II this proc
viso is adopted the roads may charge more
for short haul than long one, which Ia
in di ect opposition to the constitution.
Senator Hudson yielded his time as in
troducer OF the proviso 10 Senator Stay
ton, who replied to Senator BarkeI's
ar unents. He showed that people build
railroads to make money out OF them. He
reasstrte | that this was nothing more than
repetition of the constitution under
which the relief of the bill proposed can
be gained He never would agree that il
is right 10 cut off comp tit on. He wants
the ria bit 10 ship here he can get the best
rate of freight "To say that a farmer
shall not sell his cotton where he can get
the most for it to say thata town that has
competition shall not enjoy the benefits of
it because there are other towns that have
no competition, why, sir, what are you
talking about"'
He slowed that the bill would be inoper.
alive, because it makes no prov sion to ad-
just the wrongs complained OF. No court
provided for, and no standard provided 10y
which an unjust discrimination can be adj
jus ed.
The proviso was not adopted.
Ayes-Senators Baxter, Byrne, Hudson,
| Jones, Met onnoll Peters, POTTS. Simmons,
Staylon. Tate, $. f. Williams, J. II. Will
| liams-ll.
Noes Senators Anderson. Cazort, Gran.
| dali, Dunawny, Fletcher. Hanna. johnson,
Logan, Martin, Meek, Pettigrew, Pope,
| Tn mason ani Mr.. President-4.
An amendment TO section !. providing
/ that tho railroads shall keep mt each depot,
/ in book form, published schedules OF rates
/ OF freight and passenger traffic, was read.
/ Senator Meeks THOUGHT that the bill in
| its original form much better than IL
| would lie IL this amendment be adopted.
/ The hill proposes that these rates shall lie
/ posted up where all shippers can see them.
Senator Fletcher thought the amendment
/ amounted 10 a literal farce. The book
/ form can be stuck away in the drawer at
/ the depot aud never be seen by the ordin-
/ ary shipper.
] Senator Johnson moved the previous
/ ques ion; lost, which removed the whole
/ question from the Senate until tomorrow.
Moody and sankey to Evaneelize Chicago.
PIrrsBuRG, Feb. Ezra d. sankey, the
| evangelist, whose gospel hymns are sung
on the continent, was in the city to-day
en- route from his home in Brooklyn to